Everything In Its Right Place
by Hairbending
Summary: LoK High School AU. Korra has just moved to Republic City to begin her training. Things get a little more complicated once she discovers she has to start attending Republic City High School, and, on top of it all, keep her identity as the Avatar a secret.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! **

**This is a high school AU in that while it makes use of the same characters and settings, it largely does not follow the Legend of Korra plot line. You may, however, spot some parallels between this fic and events that occur in the actual show.**

**Feedback would be much appreciated so I can learn how to make this entire experience better for you readers. Thank you for taking the time to check out my story! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Good morning, Naga," Korra chirped happily. "Ready to go for a ride?"

The polar bear dog wagged its long, white tail in response. As she did every day, Korra grabbed a brush that hung upon the wall nearby and began to run it through Naga's fur. "The weather is great today," she said. "The air is nice and crisp. You're going to love it."

"Sorry, Korra, it looks like you won't be going for another joyride today," a voice called out behind her. Korra turned and found her mother standing at the barn entrance, smiling gently. "You have visitors."

"Visitors?" Korra repeated incredulously. "This early in the morning?"

"Apparently so."

Korra looked up beseechingly. "Can I take Naga out for a ride? Just for five minutes, I promise."

"Oh, Korra," Senna shook her head, an amused expression on her face. "Five minutes turns into fifty with you. And besides, I don't think you want to wait another minute to hear what these visitors have to say."

"What do you – " Korra gasped. "They're here?"

She did not wait for an answer. The girl ran past her mother, throwing the brush haphazardly behind her. "Sorry, Naga! I'll take you out another time!" she shouted. Korra quickly approached the igloo, where she lived with her parents. Senna followed closely behind her. Korra threw the door open, which slammed against the wall with a bang. A framed photograph came crashing to the ground beside her. "Oops."

Korra's father, Tonraq, pinched the bridge of his nose. "Korra, sit down," he said. Korra had returned the frame to its rightful position on the wall. She turned and saw her father, sitting with several elders around the dining table. Her face brightened. Members of the Order of the White Lotus had come to visit. This could only mean one thing. She joined them at the table and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Hello, Korra," an elderly woman greeted her with a large grin.

"Katara!" any effort Korra had made to regain some sense of calmness was thrown out of the window immediately. "How was your trip?"

Katara had been away for several months – on "White Lotus business," or so she had informed Korra. The Southern Water Tribe had greatly missed her presence. In her wisdom and age, not to mention her history, Katara was one of the most respected figures of the community. She had a unique way of connecting with people of all ages, perhaps because of all the knowledge and stories she had to offer. She was one of Korra's favorite people in the world.

"It was nice, although it's even better to be back in familiar weather," Katara clasped her wrinkled hands around her cup of tea. "It doesn't get very cold in Republic City."

"Speaking of Republic City," another man, also a member of the Order of the White Lotus, cleared his throat. "We have news for you, Korra. We believe you are ready to begin your airbending training."

"Really?" Korra cried out. She whooped happily and pumped her fist in the air. "That's awesome!"

"Er...yes," the man continued. He straightened his eyeglasses and continued. "You will, of course, be training with Tenzin, Katara's son. We had originally planned for Tenzin to move here temporarily, to the Southern Water Tribe, while he teaches you. However..." Korra gulped.

"As much as I would _love _to have my son and grandchildren around," Katara said, "Tenzin has duties to attend to in the city as part of the United Republic Council. He will not be moving here, but instead, you will have to relocate to Republic City."

Korra let out another large whoop. Visions of pro-bending, crowded streets, and Satomobiles danced in front of her eyes. For so long, she had been enchanted with the idea of living in Republic City. It was loud and busy, she imagined – so much unlike her own hometown, where the quiet and peacefulness often made her fidgety. On top of that, Republic City was where the heart of all the pro-bending action was. She had dreamed of seeing a pro-bending match since she was a young child, and now that dream was very quickly turning into a reality. She almost couldn't believe it.

"You won't be living in the city, however," Katara added.

Korra paused mid-cheer. "I won't?"

"Well, you'll be _in _Republic City, but you'll be living off the coast," the elder explained. "On Air Temple Island, where Tenzin's family and the Air Acolytes reside."

Korra wilted just a tiny bit. "Oh. I was looking forward to finally getting some excitement."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Katara's eyes glinted knowingly.

"You see, Korra," the third White Lotus member spoke up. "You'll be attending school, on top of your airbending training."

"School?"

"Republic City High School, to be precise," Tonraq said. "It's an incredible opportunity. You just can't get that level of education around here. Imagine all the things you'll get to learn! Science, history – even mathematics!"

Korra wilted even more. Senna put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You know, Korra," she said. "Your father is right. It _is _an incredible opportunity. There's a lot to be said for learning in a classroom setting, with people your own age. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Not really," Korra grumbled. "Although maybe it _would _be nice to have some friends my age for once."

"See, it won't be that bad," Senna said. "You'll have lots of fun."

"I'll miss you guys, though," Korra said to her parents.

"We'll visit as much as we can," Tonraq promised. "And you'll come home during the longer holidays."

"One more thing," Katara cut in. "And you must remember this. Maybe you won't understand now, but you will, soon. No one should know you are the Avatar. For your own personal safety, you must keep it a secret."

Confused, Korra simply nodded.

* * *

Republic City was not quite how Korra pictured it, and yet, in many ways, it was. The city was bright and busy, and the buildings were taller than anything Korra had ever seen. Apart from the prospect of actually being _in _Republic City, Korra was mostly excited about the Satomobiles. She had never seen one in person before. She admired their sleekness and speed – although she much preferred traveling on Naga, of course.

Republic City was beautiful. That much was true. However, it didn't take long for Korra to notice that it was rampant with poverty and crime. In some areas, beggars stood on street corners, hungry and ill. Korra did not have her own money to spare; otherwise, she would not have hesitated to give a few yuan to a child who had been abandoned by his parents and was close to starvation. It was heartbreaking.

It was morning when Korra arrived. Her ship had finished the journey sooner than expected. She had arranged to meet Tenzin at Air Temple Island at noon, but as she had a few hours to kill, Korra decided to explore the city. She wandered the streets on Naga, which garnered a few curious looks – most people had never seen a polar bear dog before, after all – and took in the sights.

As she turned a corner, she saw two boys who were roughly her age. They looked similar enough to each other that Korra could tell they were brothers. Both had dark hair – and impressive eyebrows. The older one (Korra guessed) was tall and lean. He wore a bright red scarf around his neck, which Korra found peculiar considering the weather. The younger brother was stockier and had a friendly demeanor. He turned, spotted Korra sitting atop Naga, and nearly dropped the grocery bag he was holding.

"Look, Mako," he cried. "A polar bear dog! I've never seen one before!" Mako looked unimpressed. He sighed as Bolin ran up to Korra. "Hi! Can I pet your polar bear dog?"

Korra laughed and jumped off her saddle. "Her name's Naga."

"And what's yours?" Bolin asked. "I'm Bolin."

"I'm Korra. It's nice to meet you."

"That's my brother, Mako," Bolin pointed behind him. Mako, clearly exasperated, slowly strode over to join them. "Don't mind him. He's grumpy because he's hungry."

"Well, I know how you feel," Korra said. "I'm starving! I'm Korra, by the way," she added, reaching out to shake his hand.

Mako shifted his grocery bag to one arm. He shook Korra's hand briefly. "Come, Bolin. Let's go back home and get something to eat."

"Maybe you can join us, Korra," Bolin said. "We woke up this morning and when we went to get breakfast, we realized we had no food at all in our apartment. Isn't that funny? We had to go all the way to the marketplace to buy groceries, which is why Mako's so cranky right now."

"Well...Okay!" Korra said happily. "If Mako's okay with it."

"What do you say, Mako?"

The elder brother cleared his throat and looked away. "Fine."

"Can we go on your polar bear dog?" Bolin's eyes shimmered. "I want to tell people that I've actually ridden on one!"

"Sure!" Korra climbed back on top of Naga with ease. "Hop on."

* * *

"Whoa," Korra breathed. "You guys live here?"

Bolin nodded proudly. "Cool, isn't it?"

Mako elbowed his younger brother. "He's kidding. Sort of. This is the pro-bending arena. We live in a tiny apartment in one of the towers," he pointed.

"You guys live above the _pro-bending arena_?" Korra cried. "That is _so _cool!"

Bolin smirked. "We know."

Mako rolled his eyes and climbed off of Naga. "Come on."

They made their way into the building and climbed the stairs to the brothers' apartment. It was indeed tiny, as Mako had said. There were three rooms at the most – a bathroom, a shared bedroom, and a kitchen that doubled as a dining room. "We don't get a lot of visitors," Bolin said. "Sorry if it's a little dirty. It gets messy when it's just us two boys, you know?"

Korra didn't know whether she should ask about their parents. Instead, she moved around the apartment slowly, taking it all in. "I love it," she finally said. "It's so comfortable and cozy. Reminds me a little of the igloos back home."

Mako seemed a little surprised at this. "I - " he started, then fell silent again. "It's not much," he said quietly.

"Oh, it's perfect, I think," Korra said, looking around.

The brothers set their grocery bags down on the kitchen counter. "We won a match last night, so we could buy a little more food today with the winnings. We don't usually buy this much," Bolin said.

"Match?" she said. "Wait, you guys are pro-benders?"

"Yep!" he replied, grinning. "That's why we live here. We're two-thirds of the Fire Ferrets. The third member is our friend, Hasook, from school."

"What school?" Korra asked curiously, sitting herself down at the dining table in the center of the room. Mako set down two plates on the table: one with several rolls of bread, and another with a variety of fruits purchased fresh from the marketplace. He sat down next to her and placed his hands on a teapot in front of him. A few seconds later, steam drifted from the spout, and Mako poured tea into three cups. _A firebender_, Korra observed. Bolin joined them shortly after.

"There's really only one high school here," Mako said. "Republic City High."

"I'm in my tenth year, and Mako's in his eleventh," Bolin added. "Speaking of which, what about you? You look like you're our age, how come I've never seen you at school before?"

"I just arrived here," Korra said. "I'll be starting at Republic City High on Monday."

"Are you here alone?"

"No, I'll be living on Air Temple Island, with Tenzin. You might know him – he's a member of the United Republic Council, or something like that."

"Oh, I know him," Bolin said. "He's got a cool beard. Kind of like Wang Fire. How do you know him?"

"He's my airbending teacher," Korra said. As soon as the words slipped out of her mouth, she wanted to kick herself. How could she explain that she was a Southern Water Tribe native – who could airbend? They couldn't know she was the Avatar.

"Airbending?" Mako raised an eyebrow. "You're not a Water Tribe girl?"

Korra laughed nervously. "Yes, I am. My parents aren't benders, but my – my..._grandmother _was an airbender." she finished lamely.

"Huh, that doesn't happen very often, as far as I know," Bolin said. "I mean, bending abilities skipping a whole generation." Korra gulped. Could he tell she was lying? "But hey, that's cool."

Korra breathed a small sigh of relief. "Let's eat!" she proclaimed.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're late," Tenzin declared sternly. Korra grinned sheepishly as she stepped off the ferry that had taken her to the secluded Air Temple Island. It had been years since she had last seen Tenzin. Korra saw that he had kept his beard after all this time, and had to hold back a laugh after remembering Bolin's remark. She liked to think that Tenzin's facial hair was his own unique way of honoring the fictional Wang Fire, a creation of his Uncle Sokka, who had immortalized the character in numerous books (and a musical, performed by the talented Ember Island Players).

"Sorry, Master Tenzin," Korra said, with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "I actually arrived early, but I met these two pro-benders who invited me for a meal at their apartment. One's really outgoing and friendly, but the other is so distant and a little bit of a snob, if you ask me – "

"You did _what_?" Tenzin nearly shouted. He cleared his throat and regained his composure. "Korra, you are the Avatar. You have a duty to maintain your personal safety! It is not safe for you to go running around the city with strangers who might want to take advantage of the fact that you are new to this town." Korra rolled her eyes. Tenzin paused, and a thought seemed to cross his mind. "Wait a minute. You didn't tell them that you were the Avatar, did you?"

Korra wrinkled her nose. "Of course not! I told them that I moved here for my airbending training."

"You told them you were an airbender," Tenzin said slowly, and Korra nodded. "From the Southern Water Tribe."

"Well, yeah," Korra shrugged. "I told them that my grandmother was an airbender. They believed me."

Tenzin's palm met his forehead with a loud slap. "You know what, Korra," he said finally. "I won't even try to explain all the holes in your logic. But," he said, "If those two are dense enough to believe you, they are probably just as harmless as well." He turned and began to walk away. "With that said, Korra, you are looking strong as usual. Come, it is time for lunch." Korra grinned and quickly followed in his footsteps. She knew Tenzin couldn't stay angry for long.

Tenzin led her inside the tall, white tower where the residential quarters were located. Navigating through the hallways and bowing politely to Air Acolytes who passed by, he brought her into the wing where his family resided. As soon as Korra entered the dining room, she felt three small bodies jump and attach themselves to her person. "Korra!" three high-pitched voices chorused. Korra wobbled.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted Tenzin's three kids: Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. Meelo, the youngest, did not wait to climb up on Korra's shoulders and play with her hair. Pema, Tenzin's very pregnant wife, stood up and gave her a tight hug.

"It's nice to have you here, Korra," she said. "Will you join us for lunch?"

"Thanks," Korra replied, "But I already ate. I think I should go unpack. Where will I be sleeping?"

Pema pointed down a hallway. "There, the second room on the right. Make yourself at home!"

Gently, Korra lifted Meelo off her shoulders and made her way to her room. She dropped her heavy bags on the floor nearby the bed and let out a groan of relief. _Man, those bags were _heavy, she thought to herself, rubbing her shoulders. She stretched the muscles in her arm and examined the room. It was medium-sized: more than enough to fit a bed, a desk, and a dresser. Wide windows on one wall allowed light to stream in abundantly. A fluffy white rug, reminiscent of one Korra had back in her home igloo, sat in the center of the room across the hardwood flooring.

Pema had taken the time to decorate the place, it seemed. There were several framed photographs around the room, mostly from Tenzin's visits to the Southern Water Tribe that had taken place when Korra was much younger. Korra chuckled a little at a shot of her at five years of age, gazing up at Tenzin's bald head with amazement.

She decided she liked the room. Korra began to unpack, starting with her clothes. She was stuffing garments into the dresser carelessly – she had no patience for folding and all that – when Pema entered the room. "Hi, Pema!" she said. "Thanks for taking the time to decorate this place. It looks great!"

"Oh, that's alright," Pema said. She paused. "Just _what _are you doing, Korra?"

"...Unpacking?"

Pema raised her eyebrows before letting out a small laugh. "That's a funny way of unpacking. Anyway, I've got some things for you," she dropped a large stack of books onto the bed. Korra swore she saw the mattress sink underneath the weight. "These are all the textbooks and materials you need for school, which starts on Monday."

Korra groaned. "I forgot about that part."

"You'll love it!" Pema said, digging through the books. She pulled out a piece of paper. "Ah, here it is. This is your schedule."

Korra looked over the piece of paper. "I have to take _all _these classes?" she wrinkled her nose at Pema's amused nod. "I don't know what this Trigonometry is, but whatever it is, it sounds life-threatening."

"Oh, you'll catch up soon enough," Pema assured her. At that moment, Tenzin entered the room.

"Korra, I need to inform you of your schedule," he said.

Korra held up the piece of paper in her hands. "I already have my schedule."

"No, your _airbending _schedule," he clarified. "You will train and meditate with me every morning before school. We will alternate between the two, so you will train one morning and meditate the next. On weekends, you will train from breakfast until noon."

The girl groaned. "That's so _intense_. Can't you cut me a little slack?"

"No," he answered briefly and left.

Korra looked at Pema accusingly. "You _married _that."

* * *

Try as she might, Korra could not prevent Monday morning from arriving, a fact she detested as she climbed out of bed. Running a hand through her hair, which she had let down during the night, Korra shuffled down the hallway towards the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and made her way to the sink, cringing as she saw her reflection in the mirror. Every night, her hair insisted on arranging itself into a vague, nest-like structure. She took out a comb from her toiletries bag and began to untangle the brown mess on top of her head.

She took a brief shower and brushed her teeth before changing into a new set of clothes. Then she traversed back down the hallway to the dining room. Tenzin, Pema, and their children had just seated themselves around the table. Korra took a vacant spot and yawned a sleepy "good morning" to the family.

Breakfast was a calm affair, and Korra ate heartily. She regretted this later, when Tenzin had her run through some basic airbending positions. Airbending required a lot of agility and speed – two things she did not have after a large meal. The positions were necessary, Tenzin said, in order for Korra to familiarize herself with the character of airbending, even if she couldn't produce an air shield yet. Or even a small gust of wind. Or anything at all, really. Out of all the elements, Korra found air to be the most challenging.

Finally, it was time for Korra to leave for school. She couldn't help but be nervous as she grabbed her rucksack filled with supplies and slung it over her shoulder. Stepping onto the ferry, Korra almost wished that the training session had gone on longer. She strolled through the city streets, tailing a group of teenagers who carried books and looked about her age. Eventually, the teenagers turned and entered through a pair of iron gates. Korra stopped. She had arrived at Republic City High School.

The school's main building was made of red brick, which stood out brightly against the greenery of the well-manicured lawns. It was several stories high and seemed to tower over her as she examined the campus. On the facade of the building were four banners, each bearing a symbol of all four nations. In the midst of the grounds stood a marble fountain. Students had already arrived and were roaming the front lawns, chattering loudly.

"Hey, Korra!" she heard a voice call out. "Korra, over here!"

It was Bolin. He was walking down the opposite end of the street. Mako was beside him, calm and stoic as usual. Korra waved enthusiastically and ran down to meet them. "So, what do you think of the place?" Bolin asked.

"It's awesome!" she said. "There's...so many people."

Bolin nudged Korra through the gates, declaring loudly: "New meat coming through!"

Embarrassed, Korra elbowed him in the torso, earning a startled "oof!" and a rare snicker from Mako. Bolin opened his mouth to respond when he spotted something and halted. His face turned dark. Korra looked at him, then at Mako, who had a similar expression on his face. "Guys, what's wrong?" she followed their gaze to see three boys standing by the fountain looking back at them. "Who's that?"

"That brown-haired one, with the kind of face you just want to punch for no reason," Mako said, "That's Chun. His father's filthy stinking rich," Mako spat.

"And the other two are Yomo and Han. They're two of the three members of the Tigerdillos," Bolin added, "The team we're battling in a few days."

"Come on," Mako sighed. "Let's just go. I don't want to start another fight with them." He grabbed Bolin by the arm and dragged him off to the side. Korra followed, keeping her sight on Chun and the two Tigerdillos. Chun met her gaze. He looked intrigued. "And now, the better part of the student body..." Korra heard Mako say. She turned. They were walking towards a boy and a girl who were leaning casually against a tree, seemingly deep in conversation.

The boy had dark, shaggy hair that Korra thought was far too long. His face was thin and gaunt, and he had a serious demeanor about him. The girl, on the other hand, was beautiful. Tall and thin, she had wavy hair that reminded Korra of waterfalls in the way that it moved as the girl turned her head to look at them. Mako waved to the pair as they approached. "Guys, this is Korra," he gestured towards her. "She's new in town. Korra, this is Hasook and Asami," he pointed to the boy and girl in turn. "We told you before that Hasook plays on our pro-bending team."

"It's nice to meet you," Korra said, shaking each of their hands.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Bolin inquired.

"This week's match," Asami responded. "Both of you better be ready. I heard the Tigerdillos have been practicing every single day."

Hasook tossed his head and said flippantly, "No worries. We'll beat them, for sure."

"Don't be an idiot, Hasook," Mako narrowed his eyes. "We're not talking about the Turtleducks here. The Tigerdillos are tough. We've played them before, and we won – but just barely."

"Mako's right," Bolin agreed. "We need to train really hard for this. I mean, we don't want to get eliminated in the _preliminary _rounds, now, do we?"

"Speaking of which," Asami cut in. "We haven't decided how much money we want to bet with the other team." At Korra's confused expression, Asami explained, "For every match that the Fire Ferrets play, I run bets between them and the opposing team. My job is to help both teams agree on how much money each will bet, and I keep the money safe until after the match is over. The winning team takes all."

"So basically," Bolin elaborated, "Let's say Mako, Hasook, and I pool our money and bet 30 yuan, which is the amount we usually agree upon. The Tigerdillos also bet 30 yuan. Combined, that makes 60 yuan."

"So what happens with the 60 yuan?" Korra asked.

"A small cut of it goes to me," Asami said. "The rest is divided equally among these three boys." Just then, Korra heard the sound of a ringing bell signifying that school would start soon. "We'll talk about this later," Asami said hastily. "See you around," she waved goodbye briefly and began to walk rapidly towards the building.

"Hold up, Asami," Mako called out. She paused, allowing him to catch up, before the two of them continued onwards.

Korra eyed the pair as she, Bolin, and Hasook began to stroll calmly down the path. "Are they...?"

"A couple? Nah," Bolin said. "They're in the same homeroom, that's all. They're both seniors."

"Seniors?"

"That means they're in their final year of high school. You're in your eleventh year, right? That means you're a junior, like us."

"Oh. Okay. How do you know which homeroom you're in?"

"Let me see your schedule," Bolin peered at the sheet of paper Korra handed him. "Ouch. You've got Teacher Bei Fong." He grimaced, and Hasook sucked in his breath. "You're in for a big treat, Korra," Bolin smirked. They made their way up the staircase leading up to the front doors.

"There's your homeroom," Hasook pointed at an open door down the hallway. "Bolin and I are here. So I guess we'll see you later."

They turned abruptly, walking into a classroom full of rowdy students. Korra was alone now, in the midst of a crowd, feeling conspicuous in her traditional Southern Water Tribe clothing. She struggled her way through the giant mass of students and somehow managed to reach the classroom Hasook had pointed out. She walked in, clenching the strap of her rucksack even tighter. Korra ducked just in time to dodge a paper airplane someone had flung from across the room. _The atmosphere in here is ridiculous_, she thought. The students were even rowdier than the ones she had seen before – they were yelling and throwing things – and seemed to enjoy this, for some incomprehensible reason.

The door, which Korra had closed behind her, swung open again. In an instant, every single student in the room fell silent and jumped into their seats, leaving Korra standing in solitude at the front of the class. Slowly, she turned and saw a grey-haired, fierce-looking woman glaring down at her, hands on her hips. "T-t-teacher Bei Fong?" Korra smiled nervously. "I'm Korra. I'm new here?"

"You will address me," the woman boomed, "As s_ir."_

"Sir, yes, sir!" Korra corrected herself quickly. This woman was terrifying, to say the least. She heard a snicker and whirled around. It was that boy she had seen earlier – Chun. Mako was right. Chun's face was just _begging _for a nice right hook, which Korra would be more than glad to offer if she had the opportunity.

"Chun," Teacher Bei Fong said, in that menacing tone of hers, "What exactly is so funny to you?" Chun offered no response. "Well, then, Korra. Seeing as the two of you are such good friends, I'll let you sit beside him for the rest of the week."

The look on Korra's face was priceless.

* * *

The days passed by slowly.

Korra was, surprisingly enough, keeping up with most of her classes – with the exception of Trigonometry. Two days in and she was already falling behind. But Korra liked to think that she made up for it by doing especially well in History. (Now that she thought about it, though, she had a bit of an unfair advantage in that particular class: most of the knowledge the teacher conveyed had already been passed on to Korra by various White Lotus members, who had actually been a _part _of those events. Nevertheless...) Korra also found herself enjoying Physical Education, a class in which bending wasn't allowed (as to put benders and non-benders on equal ground) which pushed her to rely on her own physical strength. As it turns out, Korra had quite a lot of physical strength, a fact which her classmates quickly learned after she had given the coach a black eye for mistaking her for a man.

The entire student body was unable to decide whether or not they liked this strange new girl. Some believed she did not "know her place" as a new student at Republic City High School. She behaved as though she had lived in the city all her life, and was far too outspoken and opinionated, a combination that alienated a few members of said student body. Others admired her for her courage and thought of her as someone who was genuinely _nice – _just slightly misunderstood, that's all. Whether they were a member of Team Korra or not, however, most students agreed that there was something unique about her.

"People are talking about you," Mako told Korra. He slid his lunch tray onto the table where Korra was sitting and sat down across from her.

They were in the cafeteria. It was Thursday, and Korra had woken up that morning feeling eternally grateful that the week was _nearly _over. It had been a rough couple of days. She was looking forward to some time off. "Oh really?" Korra said disinterestedly, biting into an apple. "What are they saying?"

"So far, the general consensus is either that you're slightly insane," he said, "or just plain awesome."

"Yeah?" she chewed thoughtfully for a while. "And what do _you _think?"

He raised an eyebrow. "A little bit of both," he said matter-of-factly.

At that moment, Bolin and Asami appeared at the table, both holding trays of their own. Bolin exhaled loudly as he sat down. "I'm really, really nervous about tomorrow."

"The most important thing is that you don't lose," Asami said, waving her fork in the air as she spoke. "Or you could lose your 30 yuan."

"Yeah, because it's that simple," Bolin rolled his eyes.

"Where's Hasook?" Mako asked.

"Training in the gym," Asami replied. "Man, he's taking this seriously for once."

"I think I'll go join him."

And with that, Mako stood up and left. Korra watched him walk away. As soon as he was out of earshot, Asami leaned in and winked. "So. Korra. Interested?"

Korra laughed. "No, of course not."

Asami shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to ask. A lot of girls are."

"True," Bolin nodded sagely, his mouth full of roast duck.

"Huh," Korra looked back at the current topic of their conversation who was nearing the cafeteria exit doors. She supposed she could see what people found so attractive about him. He _was _very good-looking (very, very good-looking). "But I thought between the two of you, _you _were the ladykiller, Bolin."

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Bolin chewed loudly. "I steal my fair share of hearts. How can I not? Just look at these muscles, my perfectly tousled hair, my friendly and welcoming smile..."

"Do go on," Asami groaned.

Bolin swallowed his food and continued. "But really, a _lot _of girls are into Mako."

"They just don't talk about it publicly," Asami said. "But I'm a girl, and I use the girls' changing room, and you _hear _things in there," she shuddered, "Things I do not want to repeat."

"I still think I'm the better-looking one," Bolin said.

* * *

**A/N: I realize this chapter was somewhat longer than the first, but I hope you all enjoyed it anyway! Let me know what you think by reviewing. Thanks! **


	3. Chapter 3

When the afternoon bell rang, echoing throughout the school hallways, Korra breathed a huge sigh of relief. The school day was finally over, and she was one day closer to the end of the week.

Not accustomed to such a busy schedule, she was exhausted. Every morning, she woke up early, (sometimes even before the sun had ascended above the horizon) had breakfast, then either airbending practice or a session of meditation with Tenzin. School took up a large portion of the day, and the amount of information being constantly drilled into her mind wore at her, so that all she wanted to do was crawl home and sleep until the next morning. But it was not so – although it was only her first week, she had been assigned homework by teachers who had no sympathy for her. As if wasting away in school for hours daily wasn't enough, now she had to study during the evenings too! On some days, Tenzin would even feel extra malicious and decide to fit in another training session before dinner.

But Korra was tough, and although she was tired, she took it all in stride, though it did not stop her from complaining. Frequently. She just hoped it would get better with time.

Korra shut the door to her locker and turned to leave, only to come face to face with Mako. "Oh, hey, Mako," she greeted. "What's up?"

Hands in his pockets, he said, "So. Well. Bolin wanted to show you around town," he quickly added, "If you're not busy, that is."

Korra thought back to what she had waiting for her at home. Tenzin would probably want her to practice airbending. So far, their sessions had produced no results – she was still unable to produce even a single gust of wind – and so Tenzin was acting tougher on her than usual. Not to mention the pile of homework that was waiting to be completed...

"Nope!" she said. "Nope, I'm not busy."

"Okay. Bolin's waiting for us outside."

Bolin was excited to show Korra around Republic City, perhaps even more so than the latter herself. In between training, school, and homework, she rarely had time to unwind. She was grateful for the opportunity to blow off some steam, though she knew steam would be coming out of Tenzin's ears when she got home.

The brothers took her to the marketplace, a lively place full of dynamic characters shouting across stalls at each other in a cordial manner. Knowing that Korra's palate was largely limited to Water Tribe cuisine, Bolin insisted that she try out foods that she had never even seen before. A paper cup of leechi juice in one hand and a handful of Fire Nation fruits in the other, Korra was content, and so was her stomach. Mako munched silently on skewered turkey duck – his favorite – as Korra listened intently to Bolin's perpetual chatter about the brothers' usual haunts.

"Ooh!" Korra stopped in her tracks. She had spotted a stall specializing in Water Tribe cuisine. "Home food!"

Bolin and Mako peered curiously (and a little uncertainly) at what the stall had to offer. Everything looked like something a nauseous sea creature would vomit, if they could: slimy, colorless bits that did not look like plant nor animal. A pot filled with brown liquid sat steaming nearby. Korra's eyes brightened.

"I've tried your food," she said, "So now you have to try some of mine."

Mako turned a light shade of green as Korra handed him a bowl of the strange brown broth. There were dark pieces of some kind of meat floating in it. Mako looked at the broth suspiciously. Cautiously, he took a sip. "What is this?" he asked.

"Stewed sea prunes," Korra grinned, and Mako gagged. The woman at the stall harrumphed, looking deeply offended.

"The fried octopus is not bad, though," Bolin chewed. "Hey, it's actually pretty good. Can I have some more of this, please?"

After the woman had wrapped up some fried octopus for Bolin (all the while shooting angry looks at Mako) he paid her and the trio began walking. They wandered around the main road, exploring the shops for a while. Bolin gasped when he spotted a clock in a shop window.

"What is it?" Mako asked.

"Look at the time! I was supposed to be at Hasook's half an hour ago," Bolin panicked. "He was going to help me out with my physics report. I have to go. Like, now. Sorry, guys, see you later!" Before either Mako or Korra could say a word in response, he fled. Korra had a sneaking suspicion that he had just made up that poor excuse to put her and Mako in an awkward situation. The two exchanged glances, sighed, and continued walking.

It was indeed awkward. Mako was deathly silent, so Korra attempted to strike up a conversation. Out of all her new friends – Bolin, Hasook, Asami, and Mako – it was Mako who she found the most difficult to get through to. Bolin had been warm and welcoming towards her from the beginning. That was just the way he is. Hasook struck Korra as a little strange (though not necessarily in a bad way) and she did not know him very well, but they got along all the same. And Asami had clearly taken a liking to Korra, who admired the older girl and her straightforward ways.

But Mako...she looked at the person walking beside her, hands still stuffed in his pockets, silent as usual. She just couldn't figure him out. It was like he had put up walls around him, and they were far too high for her – or anyone, for that matter – to scale. In fact, she had a sneaking suspicion that he did not like her very much. "So, uh," she said nervously. "Are you ready for your match tomorrow?"

Mako shrugged. "I think so."

They shuffled along. Korra racked her brain, attempting to come up with something to say – anything that would break the tense silence that had blanketed them.

She did not have to. Mako stopped abruptly and said, "Let's go in here." Korra looked up and saw that they had stopped in front of a small tea shop. A sign emblazoned with the words "Republic City Teas" hung on the shop facade, directly above the door. Korra followed Mako inside, and a tiny bell rang to welcome them. Mako immediately moved towards a table in the corner by a window.

"Do you go here a lot?" Korra asked.

"Sometimes," Mako responded. "With a brother like Bolin, you need somewhere where you can escape and get some peace and quiet from his crazy antics." Korra laughed. Mako waved to a mustachioed elderly man, who had an apron tied around his waist. The man smiled widely when he saw Mako and quickly approached.

"Mako!" the man boomed. "Decided to drop by? I haven't seen you in awhile."

"I've got a match coming up, so I've been busy practicing," Mako said, giving the man a brief smile. Korra blinked, startled. She realized she had never seen Mako smile before this. It was...strange. (In a nice sort of way.) "Lukka, this is Korra. She's new in town."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, little lady!" Lukka pulled Korra into an enormous hug, knocking the breath right out of her. "Welcome to Republic City Teas."

"It's nice to meet you too," Korra grinned.

"So, what can I get you two?"

"The usual, please," Mako said. "I think one pot will do. And, uh..."

"Fruit tart?" Lukka winked knowingly. Mako smiled – again – and nodded. Lukka repeated their order, and with a small bow, he retreated into the kitchen.

"Fruit tart?" Korra questioned.

"I order it every time I visit," Mako said. "It's delicious."

Korra looked out the window. People walked by, going about their business. Most were coming home from work or school. She wasn't accustomed to living somewhere so crowded, but she absolutely loved the hustle and bustle of it all.

As if he could read her mind, Mako spoke up. "You're homesick, aren't you?"

She paused for a moment, thinking. Was she? She really hadn't thought about home much since she had left, but the Water Tribe food stall at the marketplace brought back a rush of fond memories. "A little," she admitted eventually. "I miss the cold. I miss my parents, I miss taking Naga out for a ride in the morning...I miss the food," she chuckled at Mako's nauseated expression at the mention of Water Tribe cuisine. "But I do love it here. It suits me, I think."

Mako raised an eyebrow and nodded silently, looking down at his teacup. Korra swallowed. "You don't like me, do you?" she accused him.

He glanced at her but did not give a straightforward response. Instead he asked, "What makes you think so?"

"The way you act."

"Really now," he said, looking slightly amused. "And here I was thinking I was being friendly, taking you here and all."

Korra shrugged. "Well. I don't know, I mean, I can't tell if you just act that way to everyone, or if there's something about me that bothers you..."

"Both are true," Mako stated matter-of-factly.

"Really? What is it about me that ticks you off?"

"It's not that it ticks me off," Mako said. "It's just something that's been nagging at me since the first conversation we've had. Something I've always wondered. Korra, are you related to Avatar Aang?"

Korra felt the breath being knocked out of her body. "No," she forced out, willing her voice not to falter. "Why do you ask?"

"That's interesting," Mako looked her in the eye. "I know for a fact that Avatar Aang was the last airbender in the world during his time."

"So?" Korra's heart beat rapidly.

"So," Mako continued, his gaze upon her intense. Lukka returned, bearing a tray of teacups, a pot, and two small fruit tarts. He placed the tray down on the table and left with another little bow. "Any airbender alive today would have to be a descendant of his."

Korra cursed repeatedly in her head. Struggling to keep her face as straight as possible, she looked back at him. Her cover had been blown. Tenzin was going to be _pissed_. She picked up the teapot and poured some spice tea into one of the cups in order to appear calm.

"Korra," he narrowed his eyes. "You're not who you say you are, are you?"

She averted his gaze. She had to resist slapping herself in the face. How could she have been so _stupid_? Of course somebody would have figured out the truth behind her (admittedly flimsy) excuse. She wished Bolin was here – to change the subject, to break the tension – anything. Mako was staring unblinkingly, expecting a response. Her eyes darted around the room.

And then she spotted him – Chun, the insufferable kid in her homeroom, had just walked in the shop. She let out an involuntary groan of disgust. Mako cocked an eyebrow and turned. When he saw what she was looking at, his face darkened considerably. Chun turned, hearing Korra's groan, and smirked. He began to walk towards them.

Korra saw Mako clench his teeth. His fists tightened around his teacup.

"Well, hello there," Chun drawled. "Korra, is it?" Korra gave a small nod. He neared her, studying her face. She wrinkled her nose in response. "So, what's going on here?" he asked, eyes shifting between her and Mako.

"We're just hanging out," Korra said truthfully. "Having a perfectly good time with some tea and fruit tarts before _you _came along."

"Now, why would you want to 'hang out' with filth like this?" Chun turned up his nose at Mako. "Come on, Korra, why don't you ditch him and come with me instead?"

Mako stood up abruptly. Chun straightened up as well and faced him. "What are you now, her boyfriend?" he challenged. "Why don't you go back to the streets where you belong?"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Korra exclaimed angrily.

"Didn't you know? Mako here used to live on the streets," Chun teased. "Like some kind of pathetic beggar. Scratch that – he _was _a beggar. Still is." Mako glowered silently. Chun was clearly trying to get a rise out of him, and Mako was determined not to give him that satisfaction. Korra, on the other hand...

"You better shut your mouth, chump," she threatened. "Before I shut it for you."

Chun shook his head slowly in mock disappointment. "Really, Mako? I didn't think you'd sink this low. Call yourself a pro-bender? You're so weak," he spat. "You can't even defend yourself. A _girl _has to do it for you. Can you imagine? A girl!" he laughed at the hilarity of it all.

At that, Mako raised his hand to punch him right in the mouth. But he was too late. Korra beat him to it. Her arm shot out, startling him, and her fist crashed into Chun's face with a loud, satisfying crack. The other customers at the shop were watching them now with panicked expressions. Lukka stood off to the side, wringing his hands worriedly.

Chun stumbled backwards and fell flat on the floor, clutching his face.

"She may be a girl," Mako loomed over him, smirking. "But clearly, she can still pack a good punch."

Mako and Korra strodeout of the tea shop. As soon as they turned a corner, Korra burst into giggles. "That was _awesome,_" she exclaimed in between laughs. Mako watched her, an amused expression on his face. "I'm sorry I took away the satisfaction of punching him," Korra apologized, still grinning. "Couldn't help it."

"Perfectly understandable," Mako nodded.

They paused.

Korra had stopped laughing. She could practically see the gears turning in Mako's head. She could tell he was thinking back to the conversation they were having before Chun interrupted. Mako had figured out that she had lied. Korra was uncertain what the consequences would be if he _did _discover her true identity as the Avatar, but she was sure she did not want to find out.

"What is it that you're hiding, Korra?" he asked. The question hung heavily in the air behind them. He stared at her more than a little suspiciously, as if attempting to figure her out. She met his expectant, waiting gaze, not knowing how to respond.

They stood in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

The door to the dining room opened momentarily before closing shut with a loud slam. Tenzin, Pema, and their three young children jumped. The family was seated around the table, eating dinner, when Korra had entered, loudly and abruptly.

Tenzin was about to reprimand her for coming home so late and missing their training session, but decided against it when he saw the look on Korra's face. "What happened this time, Korra?" he put down his bowl of rice. Korra glanced at the three children, whose eyes had grown wide with curiosity. "Jinora, Ikki, Meelo – " Tenzin said, without looking in their direction. "Go to your rooms."

"But we want to know what happened to Korra!" Ikki whined. Pema gave her a warning glare. Ikki shrank back and pattered down the hallway with her siblings.

"Will someone _please _explain," Korra growled, "Why I have to keep my identity as the Avatar a secret? Ever since I moved here, not _one _person has told me why. All you do is talk about how it's classified White Lotus business and how I should just focus on airbending. But no, I'm not going to put up with that anymore. I don't care if it's _classified_, I'm involved and I demand to know!" she slammed her fist for emphasis.

Silence. "Why so sudden, Korra?" Tenzin said. "Did something happen?"

"I just – my friend Mako figured out that I'm _not _an airbender," Korra said through gritted teeth. "And then we got into a fight with this _pig _named Chun –" Pema and Tenzin exchanged glances. " – and we got distracted, so I thought Mako would let it go, but he _didn't _and now I'm pretty sure he knows but he won't say anything and things are just so, so weird right now – "

"Maybe you should sit down, Korra," Pema suggested gently.

Korra remembered to breathe. She dropped onto a cushion opposite them in a huff. "Well?" she demanded. "Is anyone going to tell me anything for once?" The married couple exchanged glances again, evoking a frustrated groan from Korra.

"She has to know eventually," Pema said to Tenzin.

"But, Pema – " Both Korra and Pema glared at him. "Alright, alright, I'll explain. Korra," he began slowly as he clasped his hands together on the table. "In Republic City, there is a secret group of anti-benders called the Equalists."

"The Equalists?" Korra wrinkled her nose.

"Yes. They are led by a man who goes by the name of Amon. They seek to eliminate bending, so that everyone is placed on equal ground. Now, understandably," Tenzin continued, "As the Avatar, in a way, you are the symbol of bending. The one person in the world who can manipulate all four elements. That makes you a very, very important target to them."

Korra searched his face, looking for any sign of humor. There was none. She swallowed. "So..." she took a deep breath. "So they're looking for me."

"Not you, specifically," Tenzin said. "They don't know that it's _you_. But if they were to find out who the new Avatar was, there's no telling what they would do."

"So my life is in danger."

"Exactly," Tenzin cleared his throat. "What they do know about the new Avatar is that he or she would be around your age – the number of years since my father's death – and a waterbender. When we decided to move you here, it wasn't just because you needed to train with me. It was also to protect you. The Equalists had begun searching in the Northern Water Tribe, and they would no doubt scour the Southern Tribe as well. You were at risk of being discovered, so we took you here to Republic City: under their very noses, the last place they would expect.

"But there was one thing we did not account for," Tenzin continued. "The Equalists have eyes everywhere in the city. They have discovered that the Avatar might be here, in town." Korra tried to take this all in, breathing heavily. Her heart was starting to beat rapidly as fear – an emotion Korra rarely encountered – rippled through her like icy water. "And they're narrowing their search down."

Korra swallowed. "So...what does this mean? Do I have to move again?" Her mind flickered to Bolin, Mako, and all the new friends she had made. If she had to leave, she'd miss them terribly. Even Mako.

"The Order of the White Lotus has decided to keep you here for the time being," Tenzin said. "They're deploying another group of sentries to boost security around the island as we speak. But if anything that puts you at risk happens, you're going to be on the next ship back to the Southern Water Tribe, young lady. You better behave and stay out of trouble!"

Korra huffed. What kind of girl did Tenzin think she was? She wasn't the kind to get in trouble. No, not at all... "Wait, that's it? There are people hunting me down and you're just going to let it go?"

"For now, they don't know the identity of the Avatar. It could be any teenaged waterbender in the city – or in the world, even. Much of the information they get is hearsay. It would arouse more suspicion if you suddenly fled the city just as their search is beginning."

"And what about when I'm not on the island? What about when I'm at school, or hanging out in the city? Who's going to look out for me then?"

"Don't you worry about that," Tenzin said mysteriously. "It's all been taken care of, as usual."

Korra wrinkled her nose. She wondered what he meant by that. As she got up to leave, she thought about what all of this would mean for her. There was a group – probably a dangerous one, at that – of so-called "Equalists" who were on the hunt for _her_. She didn't know how to feel: terrified, because it could mean her demise? Or brave, because she _was _the Avatar, after all?

"Korra, one more thing," Pema added in her calm, quiet voice. "Be careful. I know we've told you this before, but it is absolutely important that no one find out about you being the Avatar."

"Uh, yeah, that," she raised her shoulders. "Mako kind of already figured out that I was lying, right? And he might be on to something."

"Act as normally as possible," Pema advised her. "Even if you think Mako can keep a secret...well, trust no one."

Slowly, Korra nodded.

* * *

Things between Korra and Mako do not get any better.

It wasn't as though they were in the middle of a fight. They were on amiable terms (or at least, as amiable as one could get with Mako). But things between them were strange and tense in that Mako knew Korra was hiding a secret and was determined to find out exactly what it was. And Korra, of course, was equally as determined to hide it.

Korra spent most of her free time with her friends, which, of course, included Mako. They were usually with Bolin, Asami, and Hasook, so (thankfully, Korra thought) she never had to spend time with him alone. In fact, over the past few days, she had taken extra precautions to make sure that she would not have to. She knew that if they were to be left alone, he would jump at the chance to question her. Meanwhile, whenever they were together in a group, she could practically _feel _him scrutinizing her behavior – listening, carefully, in case Korra inadvertently let something slip. It made her nervous.

For several days, at least, her plan to avoid Mako (and along with that, any questions he might have) worked. This was until she failed her first Trigonometry test.

"You," Asami drawled, "got an F?" She was sitting at their usual cafeteria table with Korra, Bolin, Mako, and Hasook. The group was examining Korra's test paper, which was covered in angry, red pen marks.

Korra rested her chin on her fist, looking resentful. "Yeah," she confirmed sullenly.

"I don't get it, Korra," Asami frowned. "This is really easy. How can you get an F?"

"I guess I haven't been paying much attention in class," Korra shrugged. "Chun is really distracting. He keeps shooting angry glares at me."

The entire table groaned. "_Chun_," Hasook muttered darkly.

"Still hasn't forgiven you for punching him in the face, huh?" Mako snickered.

"I wish I had been around to see that," Bolin said disdainfully. "Too bad I had to leave early and go to Hasook's. Damn it, Hasook!"

"What?" Hasook scowled.

Korra let out a frustrated groan. "What do I do about this? I can't fail."

"You could get tutoring!" Bolin's face brightened.

"Hey, yeah, that could work," Asami agreed thoughtfully.

"From who? Do you know anyone who's good at Trigonometry?" Korra inquired. Bolin, Hasook, and Asami all turned to look at Mako. Mako blinked. "Mako? You're good at this stuff?"

"Oh, Mako's a real math genius," Bolin smirked. "He just doesn't want people to know it." Mako elbowed him. "Ow! Dude, you have _got _to stop doing that, I'm getting bruises," Bolin whimpered, rubbing a spot on his stomach.

"Well? Are you going to tutor her or not?" Hasook asked.

Mako looked at Korra, who stared back defiantly. She knew what he was thinking: this was the perfect opportunity to squeeze information out of her. "Sure," Mako said, with a sly smile.

"Thanks," Korra mumbled. A feeling of dread overcame her.

"Might as well start now," Mako stood up. He reached out and his fingers closed around the test paper. "It looks like you have a long way to go." Korra huffed. She left the cafeteria stomping, with the firebender trailing closely behind her.

"They seem to be getting along _really _well, if you know what I mean," Asami smirked, raising an eyebrow at the cafeteria exit doors.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Bolin said. "Mako talks about Korra a lot these days. He's asking questions about her all the time, like, it's weird. I've never seen him this interested in anybody."

"Really now," Asami's eyes remained fixed at the spot where Mako had sat. "That's interesting."

* * *

In general, libraries were places where people can go to read or spend time in quiet study.

At Republic City High School, it was not so.

Sure, there were all the hallmarks of a school library: towering, wooden shelves lining the walls, armchairs in which students could sit and read, and smaller study rooms where groups of people could work together. But for a place where one would expect an atmosphere of calm and quiet, the library was full of unruly students talking loudly – none of which, Korra noticed, were holding a book of any kind.

"Uh, Mako," she spoke up. "I don't think we can study here."

Mako scanned the crowded library and grabbed her arm. He dragged her into an empty study room and closed the door behind them.

The room itself was miniscule, but of a sufficient size to fit two connecting desks and several chairs. The sound of rowdy conversation from outside was muffled. Korra could finally hear herself think again. She was about to settle into one of the chairs when she realized Mako's fingers were still tightly wrapped around her arm.

He looked at her, gulped, and quickly let go. Clearing his throat, he lowered himself onto a seat. Korra took this as an indication that she should do the same.

"I, ah, don't have any of my books with me…" Korra said.

"That's okay," Mako said. "I didn't come here to teach you. At least, not right now."

"Then what did you bring me here for?"

"I just wanted to talk," Mako answered briefly.

Korra narrowed her eyes. "About what?" she inquired cautiously.

"Well," Mako said, "You've been avoiding me. And I think it's because of what happened that day at the tea shop." Korra averted his gaze and focused her attentions on a tiny bug crawling on the side of the desk.

"Korra," he called her, and she looked up at him silently. "Why did you lie about being an airbender? What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything," Korra lied, gritting her teeth.

"You and I both know that's a lie," his face grew grim, and Korra detected a slight hint of anger in his voice.

Korra scowled. "Why does it matter so much to you that I'm hiding something?"

"Because we're friends," Mako said plainly. "And friends don't lie to each other."

For a moment, Korra was taken aback. Her initial impression that Mako found her irritating had stuck to her, and she had not realized that he actually considered her a friend. The atmosphere in the room had gotten considerably tense, but with this revelation, Korra was inclined to let the matter drop. But, stubborn as she was, she was not willing to back down.

"Well, you know what?" Korra snapped. "Maybe I have a good reason for lying. And I'm tired of you trying to play detective, skulking around and trying to find out what my secret is. Fact is, it's _none _of your business," she said, trying to control her anger. "Until you let this go, don't even bother trying to talk to me."

And with that, she left.

* * *

Weeks passed, and neither Mako nor Korra spoke another word to each other – a fact that was noticed by the other members of their little friend group. Bolin, Hasook, and Asami were starting to feel concern for the pair, who merely ignored each other's presence and refused to apologize to the other. By then, the three teenagers had spent enough time talking to both Mako and Korra to know what their fight was about.

"So she lied about being an airbender," Asami said. "What's the big deal? Maybe she has a good reason for it."

"I don't see any reason why she would do that, though," Hasook disagreed, to Mako's approval. "What does she stand to gain from it?"

"Unless," Mako pointed out. "Unless she told that lie to cover up an even bigger secret."

"Come on, guys!" Bolin frowned. "This is Korra we're talking about! Why would she keep secrets from us? She's been pretty open to us about everything."

"Can we talk about something else?" Hasook whined. "I'm tired of this subject."

Asami rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "Let's talk about this week's match." She shot a warning glance at Mako, who had opened his mouth to protest. Apparently, he wasn't finished talking about the Korra issue. "The Buzzard Wasps saw your performance in your match against the Tigerdillos, and they want to up the ante."

The Fire Ferrets had performed exceptionally well several weeks ago when they had come head-to-head with the Tigerdillos. Though it was a close game, the Fire Ferrets managed to pull through at the end and deliver blow after blow to the opposing team, securing their victory and their position as the new crowd favorite. This position had previously been held by the Buzzard Wasps, who was due to compete against them this Friday. Tickets for the match had sold out mere hours after sales opened: people were eager to see how the Fire Ferrets would stack up against the Buzzard Wasps, who were just as eager to win back the spectators' hearts.

"How much are we talking?" Bolin asked.

"Double the usual. Sixty yuan, so twenty each," Asami said. The three boys grumbled as each of them took out his wallet to examine its contents.

"Twenty is all I have," Mako said grumpily, handing the bill over to Asami.

"Don't worry, boys," she said with a glint in her eye. "As long as you perform as well as you did last time, you'll win the match for sure. Not to mention the forty yuan each of you will get."

"Is Korra coming to our match?" Bolin said. Mako flinched. "She hasn't had the chance to watch any of our matches so far. I think she'd like it."

"I'll make sure she comes along," Asami reassured him. "That is, unless Mr. Mako here wants to protest. No? Good. Then she'll be there."

* * *

The day of the match had arrived. Korra and Asami, both sporting bright red attire to show their support for the Fire Ferrets, sat impatiently in their seats as they waited for the match to begin. Every seat in the arena had been filled, each one occupied by an excited spectator eager to watch the match unfold. The atmosphere was electric, and Korra loved it.

From the center of the hexagonal pro-bending ring, an announcer dressed in pinstripes emerged. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted. "Are you ready?" The crowd roared in response. "Announcing…the Buzzard Wasps!"

Three men, dressed in yellow uniform, made their way across the ring with confidence. Korra didn't like the look of them as they waved to the crowd and blew kisses. The spectators cheered. Those dressed in the team's colors proudly waved their banners to show off their spirit. "And, please welcome," the announcer continued. He gestured to the opposite end of the ring. "The Fire Ferrets!"

The crowd exploded. A sea of fans wearing red jumped to their feet and cheered loudly as Mako, Bolin, and Hasook entered the ring. "It's them!" Korra clapped her hands excitedly. She was still angry at Mako, sure, but she couldn't help but feel a swell of pride as she watched her friends wave hello to the crowd.

The announcer exited the battle area, and the two teams took their positions across each other. Amidst the loud calls of the spectators, Asami shouted, "Remember what I told you: the point of the game is to gain as much territory as possible, and avoid getting knocked out."

Korra nodded.

A bell rang, loud and clear, to signify the start of the first round. Both teams exploded into action. Korra watched in awe: jets of water, flames, and stone discs bulleted back and forth between both sides of the arena. Bolin stamped his foot into the ground and delivered a quick one-two punch, sending disc after disc into the chest of one opponent, who was quickly knocked back to Zone Two.

"Go Bolin!" Korra cried.

Hasook stood off to the side of the ring, a look of utter concentration upon his face. His chest rising and falling slowly – Korra wondered how he could remain so calm during a moment so intense – the waterbender raised his hands gently, lifting water from the grates. This gentleness disappeared in an instant: Hasook's hands burst forward, sending a small but hard-hitting wave of water towards a Buzzard Wasp, who stumbled backwards and into Zone 2. The spectators cheered.

"Well, folks, it looks like the Fire Ferrets are off to a great start!" the announcer exclaimed. "Barely a minute into the match, both Bolin and Hasook have managed to knock back two of their opponents into Round Two! Meanwhile, when will it be Mako's time to shine?"

Korra hated to admit it, but Mako was _good_. His strikes were quick, powerful, and effective. He moved like quicksilver, dodging blasts with little effort. Pro-bending seemed to be just as natural to him as walking. She was impressed.

Just as she reluctantly admitted this to herself, however, something terrible occurred. The blasts that were being exchanged by both teams created a large cloud of dust that temporarily concealed Mako. Even over the screams of the spectators, Korra could hear a familiar voice crying out in pain.

"It's Mako!" she grabbed Asami's arm in panic. The crowd hushed, waiting for the cloud to disperse. Korra got up from her seat to get a closer look.

Mako was clutching his sides, his face an expression of pure agony. The referee blew a whistle and the players ceased their barrage of elements upon each other. Mako cautiously, painfully touched one hand to his stomach. He turned his hand over and Korra gasped.

It was covered in blood.

Korra's mouth fell open in silent horror as Mako stood, panting heavily, staring down at himself.

And then, slowly, he crumpled to the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

"What's going on?" Asami cried as she and Korra leapt out of their seats and towards the edge of the balcony. Dozens of other spectators followed suit, making their way to the front to try to get a closer look. The match had come to a standstill – the air was rife with panicked cries and confusion, and the players were frozen in their bending positions.

A look of utter fear crossed Bolin's face. He ran over to where his brother lay kneeling on the ground. Bending down beside him, Bolin gently examined the wound on Mako's torso. Cringing, Mako struggled to choke out a few words. Korra could not hear what he was saying. Bolin nodded and swallowed.

Hasook neared them and attempted, with Bolin's help, to pull Mako up to a standing position. Mako cried out again, and his teammates quickly lowered him back down. Bolin signaled over to the side. Two medics hurried over, carrying a stretcher.

Heart beating quickly, Korra was shaking with worry and fear. The announcer shouted something loudly, words which echoed in her ears and made no sense in her mind. She watched as the medics carried Mako on the stretcher out of the arena and out of sight. "Where are they taking him?" she demanded.

She felt as though the blood pumping through her veinswas in a frenzy. She saw Asami's lips form the answer she was looking for, but before her friend could finish, Korra had turned and ran.

Minutes later, navigating through a tangled web of hallways which seemed to circle for miles on end, Korra found the door labeled "Clinic" and burst through.

The Fire Ferrets looked up, startled, and Korra came to a stop. She had run all the way here. Sweating profusely, she steadied her breathing and neared Mako, who was lying on a hospital bed. A medic was frantically wrapping a bandage around Mako's torso, in which there was a large, red gash. The blood soaked through the wrappings and would not stop.

"Korra," Mako breathed. "What are you – "

"What's going on? What happened?" she cried. "One minute you were there, fighting, and suddenly..." her voice trailed off as her vision landed on Mako's Fire Ferret uniform shirt, which lay folded on a table. There was a patch of crimson blood staining the front. Mako's blood.

"It was a stroke of bad luck," Bolin said grimly. "_Really _bad luck."

"I don't think so," Hasook spat. "They did it on purpose."

"Someone tell me what's going on!" Korra insisted impatiently.

"The earthbender from the other team kept hitting Mako in the same spot," Bolin said. "I don't know if he did it intentionally or not, but there was only so much that part of Mako's body could take."

"While we were playing, every time I looked over at Mako, he'd either be dodging a stone disc or getting hit by one in the stomach," Hasook said. "And every time I tried to defend him, the other two members would start attacking _me_."

"Same here," Bolin narrowed his eyes. "Looks like that was their strategy the whole time."

Korra let out a groan of anger and clenched her fists. "What kind of _sick_, _dirty_,_ foul_ – "

"It's not against the rules," Mako cut in. "It's a strategy, and an effective one at that. They just happened to think of it first, and I just happened to be the victim."

"Why is he _bleeding_ like that?" Korra grimaced. The medic had unwrapped the bandage again – it was soaked all the way through with blood – and was replacing it with new wrappings to little avail. The blood kept seeping through the cloth, an angry, scary patch of red.

"An old injury," Bolin explained. "While training some time ago. He got it stitched up, but getting hit over and over again opened it right back up."

"The muscle underneath has been critically hit, as well," the medic said. "The injury might be..." he paused. "Permanent."

The word shot through Korra like ice. "Permanent?" Mako repeated in a fragile voice.

"The muscle has been torn," the medic elaborated. "Too much strain was put on it, especially after the first injury. It was still in a weak state when Mako entered the match, and the continued impact of the discs made it much worse."

"Can't you do something?" Bolin was starting to get hysterical. "If it's permanent...he might not be able to pro-bend anymore!"

"The bleeding has to be stopped first."

Korra had lost patience. She knew what she had to do.

Both Tenzin and Pema had stressed to her, repeatedly, about keeping her identity as the Avatar a secret. So, since her arrival in Republic City, Korra had kept the bending to a minimum. So far, no one had found out. The person who came closest to finding out the truth, however, was lying right there on a hospital bed, needing urgent help.

Anyway, he already knew she was not an airbender. Would it be _that _bad for him to know that she was actually a waterbender – and a trained healer, at that? Would she do nothing and let Mako bleed on the hospital bed, his pro-bending career growing more and more out of reach, while knowing that she could do something to help?

Korra was selfish, but not that selfish.

"I need everyone to leave the room," she said quietly. Korra had entered a state of strange calmness. Her senses felt heightened – she had an increased awareness of her surroundings – but everything seemed _dull _at the edges. The people in the room turned to look at her.

No one protested.

As soon as the door closed shut, and the room was empty apart from herself and Mako, Korra got straight to work.

"Not a word of this to anyone," Korra whispered.

Mako nodded cautiously. His eyes were wide in anticipation. He did not expect what would happen next.

Korra closed her eyes and lifted both arms slowly. Water streamed out of a sink in the corner of the room. Mako nearly jumped, startled, but winced in pain instead.

"Waterbender," he mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief.

Holding the water in a sphere between her palms, Korra bent over the wound in Mako's stomach and lowered her hands. As soon as the water made contact with his skin, Mako gasped in pain. "Relax," she said. "I'm going to heal you." For several tense minutes, she stood over him, massaging the wound with water. As time passed, the pain began to subside, and Mako's breathing relaxed.

Korra bent the remaining water down the sink drain and propped up a pillow behind Mako's head. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

"Much better," he said. His voice was tinted with a little surprise. Tentatively, he tried to sit up. "It still hurts," he said, "But a lot less." He could sit up now and support the weight of his upper body, though his stomach still felt a little sore. The gash was gone, leaving behind a small red scar.

"That'll be there for a while," Korra said. "It'll go away eventually."

The two of them remained in silence for what felt like hours, neither knowing what to say.

"How can I ever thank you?" Mako said softly.

"You can keep this a secret," Korra responded. She searched in the shelves and finally pulled out a roll of fresh new bandages. "Now sit up properly."As she wrapped the bandages around his torso, he looked down at her and smiled.

When Bolin, Hasook, Asami, and the medic came back into the room, Mako had changed into a clean shirt and was peacefully sipping tea with Korra. Although Bolin pestered the two of them for weeks after that, demanding to know what had transpired in his absence, neither of them would say a word.

* * *

"Follow through the movements with me one more time," Tenzin instructed.

Korra nodded. Together, the master and his student went through the motions of a basic airbending form. Korra twirled gently, arms raised about her. In the corner of her eye, she could see Tenzin's robes flowing in the air as he spun. She stifled a giggle, and the pair finished with a final forward thrust of the arms.

Nothing.

Korra groaned.

"One more time," Tenzin persisted. "And focus."

"You said that the _last _time," Korra whined, but nevertheless, she obeyed.

They fell back into position. Having repeated this move for quite literally hundreds of times, Korra no longer had to think. The steps came easily to her, like muscle memory, or the choreography of a dance she had learned. Airbending was indeed, in many ways, like a dance to her. Korra followed through the final motion, pushing her arms out in front of her.

And a gust of wind blew out from her palms. It shook the branch of a tree standing several feet in front of her.

Her jaw dropped, and so did Tenzin's. The latter quickly regained his composure and cleared his throat. "You did it," he said in his usual deadpan. But even Tenzin could not completely hide the pride in his voice.

Korra whooped, punching her fist in the air. "I made wind!" a second later, she realized what she had said and snorted.

"Impressive," Mako's voice came from behind her. She turned quickly in surprise.

"How did you get here?"

"I came in while you were training," he said. "You were too in the zone to notice, I guess. Ready for our tutoring session?"

"Sure," she said. "Hey Tenzin – "

"You may go," Tenzin said, sounding pleased. After several long weeks of fruitless training, the fact that Korra had managed to produce a single gust of wind was a major milestone. With a big grin, Korra headed towards the white tower, dragging Mako behind her. They passed by a small pond, into which the three children were cheekily tossing Tenzin's pai sho tiles.

"There goes the fire lily tile," Jinora observed. Her younger siblings cackled as they watched the tile sink in the water. When they heard rapid footsteps approaching, the three children quickly shoved the remaining tiles into their pants and turned around sheepishly.

"We didn't do anything!" Meelo shouted.

"Uh," Korra said, coming to a stop. "What?"

"Oh, it's you," Jinora said. Her gaze shifted over to Korra's companion and a smirk flickered on her face. "And..."

"Ooh, Korra, who's this?" Ikki jumped in, folding her hand behind her back and peering curiously at Mako. "Is this your _boyfriend_? What's it like to have a _boyfriend_? You _like _him, right?"

Chuckling nervously, Korra clamped a hand over Ikki's mouth and leaned in. Through gritted teeth, she whispered. "Stop talking, or I will tell Tenzin that you have his pai sho tiles stuffed down your pants." Ikki obeyed immediately.

Mako shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled, completely ignoring Korra and Ikki's exchange. "Hi," he said. "I'm Mako."

Mako was taken back when a small figure tackled him. "Meelo!" the small boy announced himself. He climbed onto Mako's shoulders and buried his fingers in Mako's hair. Roaring loudly, Meelo proceeded to grab various parts of Mako's face. Korra's arms shot out and she attempted to tug Meelo away from the older boy.

"Meelo!" she scowled. Meelo held on tight to Mako's hair.

"It's alright," Mako reassured her. "I got it." Within a few short seconds, he had somehow maneuvered Meelo from his shoulders and onto the ground. He patted Meelo affectionately on the head, reached deep into a pocket, and held out a fruit candy. Meelo's eyes widened. He looked up at this tall, older boy in amazement and beamed.

"I want one too! I want one too!" Ikki jumped up and down, holding out her hands.

Mako pulled out another candy and placed it in her hands. "Shh," he said, bringing a finger to his lips. "Don't tell your parents that I gave you candy," he winked. Ikki grinned and nodded. "What about you?" Mako turned to Jinora. "Do you want one, too?"

"Okay," she timidly reached out and smiled at Mako as he handed her a piece. "Thank you."

"So, uh," Korra tugged on Mako's sleeve. "We better get going."

"Bye, tall firebender man!" Ikki waved as the pair walked into the tower. "Come back soon!"

Korra and Mako shuffled alongside each other. Korra looked at her friend and snickered.

"What?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, Mako," she laughed. "You are such a mom!"

* * *

Several long hours had passed since Mako and Korra began their tutoring session. Dusk was beginning to settle in, and the atmosphere around the island was calm and peaceful. What was _not _calm or peaceful, on the other hand, was the teenaged girl inside the tower who was glaring at her textbook. A pencil, snapped in half, was crushed in her right fist. Beside her, Mako pinched the bridge of his nose.

They had been working on the same problem for at least half an hour now. Mako wanted Korra to _learn_ – he didn't want to give her the answers to her homework without her putting in any effort. So he sat resolutely in silence, tight-lipped, as Korra scribbled diagrams of triangles over a number of sheets of paper. "Okay," he said, tapping his own pencil against a series of letters and numbers he had printed out at the top of the page. "Follow this formula to find the hypotenuse of this triangle."

Korra's knuckles turned white and she gripped her pencil even harder. While she agonized over this problem (which was overly simple, Mako thought) he picked up one of the pieces of paper she had scribbled on and examined it. Amidst what looked like angry komodo chicken scratches and badly drawn triangles, there were several doodles that Korra had drawn.

He raised an eyebrow at one of Korra's drawings – a likeness of himself made in pencil, with a speech bubble protruding from his head. Inside the speech bubble was a very, very offensive curse word. Mako rolled his eyes and glanced at the girl next to him. The pencil had been reduced to a small pile of ashes on the wooden table. He sighed and dropped his pencil and paper onto the desk.

"Alright," he said, standing up. "Let's go downtown. We've had enough studying for the day."

Korra couldn't look more grateful.


End file.
